L'Oreal's Manga mascara mimics lash extensions without the expense

The wacky TV ads for L'Oreal Paris' Voluminous Miss Manga mascara don't do justice to a product that may very well give you the longest, lushest, darkest eyelashes of your life -- with near-zero flaking and smudging.

Simply apply a few coats with the flexy, cone-shaped brush. And if you don't want the doll-like Japanese anime effect of clustered clumps, just separate lashes with an eyelash comb.

Voila: Voluptuous, feathery filaments that run longer than an Akira Kurosawa flick.Available in Black, Blackest Black and Black-Brown (all but Black-Brown come in waterproof versions, too). $7.99, at drugstores